Wireing inverters

Member

I am thinkin about gettin an inverter for my fifth wheel. I plan to get a 2000 watt or there abouts. I am thinkin about how to wire it into the system so that all my ac can use the inverter. I know my power will be limited and I can't have everything working but the 2k watt will give me enough. I was thinkin about connecting it to my power cord for "shore power" but was though about the converter in the unit. I don't want to waste power trying to charge the batteries using the batteries to charge themselves. I just want to outlets to work. I figure there must be a way to bypass the converter. How do you guy's use the inverter in the camper? I know I can run an extention cord in but would rather figure a way to use the outlets.

Member

Yeah I see what your saying about being a bit confused. When I said ac I ment alternating current not air conditioning as you figured. My reasoning here is to be able to use my tv, microwave or other appliences only for short periods of time using my existing battery supply. I don't want to run my air conditioning with the inverter. It would be far to lite anyway. I also have a machine I use while sleeping for sleep apena that runs on ac. Probably the thing what would be used the most would be the tv and air pack. I was only thinkin about the 2000 watt to take care of a very occational use of a power tool if needed. Just a back up kinda thing in an emergancy. I am over buying on the inverter for reserve capasity if needed.

Yes that is the problem I was trying to get around with the converter that is in the camper. If I hook the inverter to the "shore power"
(the power cord for the camper to the campground electricity) it would go through the converter (ac to dc) mostly used to keep the batteries up and would waste power or may damage the system. I wanted to bypass the converter and go directly to the ac outlets.
I was hopeing there was a way with out disconnecting the converter to do this. I many have to put a switch in the system to isolate the converter.

New Member

Gary, I've been thinking about this. Bear in mind that I don't know what that converter looks like on the inside. Don't know RV's. I'm just working on theory.
When you use that new inverter. (doesn't matter whether you wire it into the AC system, or plug) You aren't going through the converter. You are actually going in parallel, or simpler terms...next to the converter in the same direction. It's like adding another lane to a road going the same direction.
Theoreticallly, there should be no back feed through the rectifier. Current won't flow from a source, then back to that source. Even if you're converting it back and forth from DC, to AC, then DC again. Don't matter. It won't go back.
But there is a feed problem I worry about. That is the two inverters being out of phase with each other. They could cause big problems. If you use that second inverter. You really need a disconnect on the converter. Yes, if you use both, their phase will probably come together, but it is when they are still apart is when you may blow everything out.
You should see how close they get AC systems phases before throwing a switch at the power company. It is extremely close. And if it isn't...things can explode....or at the very least they damage apparatus.

Member

Yep, I heard all that for sure. I really haven't looked at the converter to see how it opperates. My guess is the power comes in and goes to the circuit brakers and then to the converter. This is the problem with connecting to the "shore power cord". It probably is safer and easier to run a 12/3,or two, line into the camper from the inverter and use it that way rather than trying to go through the normal electrical system. Any power tool stuff will be connected directly to the inverter in the battery bay anyway. It would just be nice to be able to run it through the system and have all the outlets powered. This would do away with haveing to plug and unplug the microwave and such.

Why can't you hook the new AC to DC inverter to the shore power plug.
Then, pull the fuse(s) in the DC to AC on board inverter that would recharge the on board batteries or anything else you don't want to run??
Also, just turn off breakers to recepticles you don't want power to.

New Member

Gary... Do you have a breaker that disconnects the converter from the main AC panel? If so, you should be able to just open that breaker (turn it off), then plug in your big inverter to shore plug. You gotta make sure you turn that breaker off before plugging in to the shore power plug. You shouldn't have any problem using that inverter to all the AC system...no problem.

I'm guessing that you already have this larger inverter? If not, it really would be much cleaner to just replace your existing converter with a larger one.

To Steve..... An inverter doesn't change AC to DC. Need to read very carefully what we're trying to do here. It can become confusing. I appreciate your picture. It doesn't tell me much, as I can't read the schematic on the front there. I also can't see where those wires are going? I'm thinking that is a picture of a converter....looks like one.

Member

Well the answer is no I haven't gotten the inverter yet. The other answer is no also I really haven't looked to see how the converter is wired. Just trying to get a pretty good idea as to what I want to do and how I want to do it. Like we have said before the converter is the problem. If I can isolate it it would be no problem and it would be an easy install.